Principal SoC Fabric Architect

Work as Principal SoC Fabric Architect in imec’s center of excellence for hardware-software co-design for future compute systems. 

What you will do

Compute System Architecture (CSA) is a center of excellence at imec for HW-SW co-design for future compute systems.  

As a Principal SoC Fabric Architect in CSA at imec you will be responsible for the gathering (intake) and processing requirements and questions from customers (internal/external) towards de-risking/pathfinding future system architectures (particularly targeting sectors such as HPC/AI/Automotive) with emphasis on the design space around the fabric and IO components across the system hierarchy, particularly for chiplet-based designs. You will take ownership on the deliverables and work with cross functional teams to deliver these requirements. This involves working with cross-functional teams to build/construct a suitable virtual/hybrid platform model, including developing & integrating missing/required fabric components of appropriate fidelity, and developing appropriate design of experiments. This role combines research, software engineering, and hardware modeling and you will work with colleagues and other stakeholders with a strong background in one or more of these areas. You may also work with colleagues close to the technology side of imec to investigate potential co-design opportunities with novel technology options (e.g., OIO, advanced packaging, etc.,)

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science or Electrical/Computer Engineering  
• 8+ years (6+ post PhD) of relevant experience in an industrial context and some with high-level requirements intake/definition (If you have slightly less experience but are a strong fit in other expectations, we encourage you to apply) 
• Strong background in computer architecture and microarchitecture  
• Strong background in all aspects of NoC architecture design space & analysis  
• Expertise or deep familiarity with system fabric protocols (coherent/non-coherent fabrics, e.g., AMBA CHI/CMN) and IO technology/protocols (PCIe/CCIX/CXL/UCIe/etc.,). A good understanding of ethernet networks is a plus (off-package or inter-die use cases)  
• Experience in evaluating workload/traffic-model characteristics against a given fabric architecture hierarchy  
• Experience with SystemC/TLM (SystemC and C++ for modeling hardware/software co-design) or working with relevant performance modeling frameworks  
• Strong RTL design experience (Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL/…)  
• Experience with chiplet-based architectures is a big plus  
• Knowledge & experience with good software/hardware engineering practices (e.g., quality, version control, CI/unit-tests, …)  
• You enjoy being hands-on and working with and mentoring like-minded junior colleagues, promoting a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence.   

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.